Wisdom Comes With Wrinkles

Alicia died while giving birth to her only son, and was brought back to life. At the time, she thought the ordeal was over with. Little did she know, everything in her life was about to change - for the better.

Even though Alicia has endured a multitude of chronic illnesses since, she's learned and gained so much.

Alicia and I talked about how she had to learn how to slow down and take care of herself. She knew if she didn't, someone else would have to do it for her. She didn't want to place that burden on anyone else.  

Alicia learned to ask a vital question of her body whenever she faced a decision, "What do you want me to know?” The body is incapable of lying.

This helped Alicia go from living life on autopilot, to living from her true authentic self. She encourages her clients to also slow down and listen within. This is one of the best gifts you can give to yourself when faced with tough choices or important decisions about anything and everything.

Alicia Morrow is a Master Coach. Gifted Intuitive. Speaker. Writer. Mother. Artist. Alchemist. Queen. Creatrix. She knows first-hand what it takes to navigate and transcend difficult circumstances. She’s faced incredible challenges head on and knows what it takes to rebuild, celebrate and trust life in the aftermath of it all.

Sybil Stershic is a believer in internal marketing to engage employees and customers as explained in her quote: “The way your employees feel is the way your customers will feel. And if your employees don’t feel valued, neither will your customers.” Employees need to be considered "internal" customers who deserve as much attention as actual "external" customers.

She has a point. During our conversation, Sybil spoke to me about the earlier years of her career when she watched her employer wait until the last moment to let co-workers know about new initiatives. It never made sense to her why the people who needed to know the most were told the least and often last. She considered it a lack of respect for employees.

This led Sybil to start Quality Service Marketing, an internal marketing company she has owned for 35 years. As her business evolved, a connection framework to address this problem emerged.

• Connect employees to the organization - to know where they fit in and what's expected of them.
• Connect employees to the customer - the more they know about their customers, the better they can take care of them.
• Connect employees to other employees - to better understand how their work is interrelated and how together they impact the bottom line.

Simple to grasp. Easy to overlook.

“I can’t do this job.” Adrian was a mom with 2 young children who needed flexibility at a time when there was no work from home. So, she started a business. She knew she was good at sales. 34 years later, the rest is history.

Adrian is a believer in building relationships. In the beginning of her career, she had people call her to “check-in.” She didn’t know what they meant. Thus, she didn’t know what to say. Those conversations were awkward.

She said to herself: there has to be a better way to interact with people. Thus, a formula was born: The 3 I’s.

The first I: Introductions. Take the time to introduce people with similar synergies to each other. You don’t know where it will end up, but the introduction will be appreciated.

The second I: Invitations. We all get invited to something. Spread the word and invite someone else who you think would also be interested.

The third I: Information. Did a web-site link or newsletter grab your attention? Send it to someone who you think could benefit.

My interview with Adrian was interesting. Her approach is high touch with low pressure. When you listen, you will learn ways to build relationships that you don’t usually hear of. Or, think of.

Adrian Miller is the President of Adrian Miller Sales Training, a sales training and consulting agency with a very simple goal, to help you accomplish, exceed, and then blow-away your sales objectives. They provide customized sales training solutions, one-to-one coaching and group sessions to impart tips, techniques and tactics that generate sales results, sales consulting that will help to create sales processes and materials that will drive your sales endeavors, and sales management for ongoing sales direction and leadership.

Andrea Pass is a PI for PR. (Private Investigator for Public Relations). She built her career around communications and is extremely passionate about her work and the work she does for her clients. But, it was not always like this.  

After working for a bully boss, Andrea found the courage to switch companies. But deep inside, she felt that she was meant to be her own boss. She listened to her gut and took a leap of faith to start her own company.

Andrea took that leap at age 56. A testament that you are not too old to make a career pivot.

Andrea talked to me about how it’s OK to move on. But, you want to be smart about it. Do your research; then go into planning mode. Talk to people. Magic and valuable information is shared in conversations. And, learn something every day. These are the keys to a successful transition.

Andrea Pass Public Relations creates and implements public relations campaigns in a wide range of categories including consumer products, lifestyle, business-to-business, education, health/wellness/fitness, beauty, food, authors, and non-profits.

At age 40, Lynnaire had an epiphany, “I am going to be unemployable in the years ahead. I need to do something about it now.” After years of toxic work environments, she’d had enough. “I’ve got to get out of here. I will do something on my own.”

Fast forward 20 years later, Lynnaire has accomplished her goal.

She has become:

• The #1 LinkedIn expert in her home country, New Zealand
• A top 20 LinkedIn expert worldwide
• The author of several books, including “Link∙Ability, 4 powerful strategies to maximise your LinkedIn success” AND “LinkedIn, Business Gold – Building Awareness, Authority and Advantage with LinkedIn Company Pages, co-authored with Michelle J Raymond”

She has also:

• Attracted international attention (and clients)
• Guested on numerous podcasts (including this one)

Lynnaire believes we all have a personal brand. Showcase yours and stay employable no matter what career or business you choose to be in.

As a teenager, Nicole realized singing was her passion and it led to a career as an opera singer that spanned over two decades. Although performing made her happy, the lifestyle of a singer involving so-called “survival jobs” led her to be unhappy. There were many sacrifices to that life. Craft came first, self-care second. Ultimately, this led Nicole to ask the question: “Are my needs being met?” The answer was NO.

After a journey of self-discovery and being around people who believed in and supported her, Nicole made her leap. She became a True Self Love coach. She teaches her clients the importance of being true to themselves and that includes self-forgiveness and self-compassion for past choices and mistakes.

She told me that realizing her worth led to her career pivot. “I deserve more.” Her advice for you: If something is not working, be decisive. Look within, listen to your gut, and make a decision as soon as you can to change your current situation for the better.

Nicole Guberman is the Founder & CEO of True Self Love™ Mindset & Transformational Coaching. After 20+ years in opera performance, 15+ years in private vocal instruction, and 10+ years of hands-on experience in the coaching industry, she officially formalized her coaching company. She is a mission-driven personal and professional development coach, board-certified alternative healing arts practitioner, and voice specialist. As a Self-Love Sorceress, she liberates corporate professionals, business owners, experts, coaches, consultants, speakers, leaders, and healers into fearless, confident speakers, on the stage, screen, and anywhere in between.

Triggers in the workplace. They get all of us at some time in our careers. But imagine not being triggered even when faced with a toxic boss? My guest Marnie Vincolisi shows people how to adapt and has made it her life work to teach you how to re-wire your response, so you no longer react. This doesn’t mean you don’t feel the pain of what’s happening. It’s that you have a way to neutralize the negativity so it does not define you or limit your ability to do your best work.

“Compassion is key; for both you and your boss,” says Marnie. “Keep in mind that you are looking at their wounded inner child. Rather than being a sponge and absorbing their negativity, be the glass that lets their toxicity run right through you. They will stop pushing your buttons at a certain point because you no longer react, which disarms them.” In this podcast, you will gain knowledge of how it is done.

Marnie Vincolisi, founder and CEO of Light Internal, has been an entrepreneur for her adult life, always changing and creating businesses that bring her joy and align with her spiritual focus. For the last three decades, she has devoted her time to developing a unique way of transforming people’s lives through past life regression, energy clearing, classes, meditations, and the authoring of books.

She is an enthusiastic and well-informed speaker traveling internationally, conducting tours, seminars, and energy treatments. Marnie draws upon her business experience, extensive knowledge in the field of holistic health, and refined innate healing abilities to guide others to clearly understand how to balance their mental, physical, and spiritual presence. Marnie does not teach anyone anything they don’t already know; she merely awakens the inherent knowledge within them.

After working and being available to her clients 24/7 for years, Shelly drew a line in the sand. “I’ve had enough. Working all the time has to stop.”  She put boundaries in place. At first, she was afraid she would lose clients. But, the opposite occurred. They respected her more.

Strong  boundaries helped Shelly give guilt-free time to both her kids and clients. Making clear boundaries allowed Shelly to be present with her kids when it was time to be a mom and present with her clients when it was time to get work done.

“Stand strong when you set your boundaries,” Shelly says. “And, don’t get wishy-washy.”

Shelly Slocum is a retired 21 year real-estate broker, author, speaker and mom. She wrote a book "Love  and Inspiration from Mom" which came as a result of Shelly loving her daughter back to health after living through a traumatic experience. When her daughter got strong enough to go back to work, Shelly would text her an inspirational quote every morning and add a couple of tips on how she could apply that in her day, and ended each text with "Love  Mom" It worked! 

After months of sending her quotes and "love mom's," her daughter got better and stronger than she was before.  She encouraged  Shelly to put this into a book to help others who might be going through a tough time or who want more positivity in their life.  Shelly's book gives daily tips on how to turn life's lemons into lemonade.

As the mother of triplets, a divorcee after 15 years of marriage, a cancer survivor and a survivor of intimate partner abuse, Kelley’s life has been anything but simple. She has learned that making it through the bad stuff, and getting to the other side, gives you a life you could have never imagined possible.

During an 11-year bout with breast cancer, and during treatment, Kelley decided she would go back to school and learn how to help cancer patients. But life had different plans, and instead led Kelley into the world of mental health. Unknown to Kelley at the time, she was pivoting into a new career path.

Today, Kelley is a licensed mental health counselor.

During our interview, Kelley discussed ways to get out of a toxic work environment as well as how to see the red flags before joining a company. The good news is mental health is no longer a stigma in the workplace. People are talking about and acting on it more. Toxic work environments which took on toll on so many for so long, is being replaced with people who are committed to their own self-care.

Dr. Robert A. Saul has been in pediatrics for over 44 years. He has devoted his life to the profession. He passionately believes in raising children to be good citizens, improving communities, and advocating for children. They are our future.

Dr. Saul has developed a Parental Awareness Threshold, a simple framework that guides parents and guardians to actively parent with self-awareness, empathy, and compassion. Parents who use this framework create a healthy environment where children learn to build safe, stable, and nurturing relationships as well as exhibit love and respect for others in their community.

His mantra: “I am the problem. I am the solution. I am the resource.”

When you take the focus off yourself, and instead, connect with others in the community, that’s how the world (and workplace) can be transformed.

Little kids become big kids (adults) who either thrive or survive in the workplace.

The more aware you are, the more engaged you are. If you are going through the motions in your job, you will miss out on career fulfillment. Opportunities for expansion and growth come from being aware. Problem-solving, creativity, and making an impact is the result.

Companies need to pay attention to where they are headed as well. Business continuity and disaster recovery planning are key. There are risks to watch out for and opportunities to capitalize on.

Jeffry Queen is a retired law enforcement officer with nearly thirty years of law enforcement, security, investigative, and logistical management experience. Today, he focuses on situational awareness and crisis management.

Human trafficking is also an important area of focus for Jeffry. He is a board member for “Voices Against Trafficking” a human traffic advocacy organization with a goal of 1 million voices by the end of 2023. The majority of human trafficking happens from someone who is close to you; a person you trust. Betrayal occurs when your guard goes down and your vulnerability goes up.

30% of grandparents are remote from their grandkids. Gramps Jeffrey is on a mission to change that and have grandparents spend more time with their grandkids. These kids will be entering the workplace one day and they will be lacking the listening, language development, and collaboration skills that are needed to be successful.

Gramps has 6 grandkids and he spent quite a bit of time with them during lockdown. He read numerous books to them and realized when you read a book to a child, you build connection. They are sitting on your lap and you are bonding. You can stop and ask questions, “What did you think?” Questions get kids thinking. Without this, kids are still thinking, but it’s one-sided because they only have their perspective. They are missing out on your real-life contribution.

This led him to write a book, :“I Don’t Want To Turn 3” which looks at how kids are growing up versus how he grew up as a kid. The world has evolved since Gramps was 3 years old.

Gramps' commentary is quite timely in the challenging world we live in today. Thinking on your own is important. It increases your attention span and self-discipline; skill-sets that are crucial to thrive in today’s workplace.

Manny is a man on a mission. Today, he is an entrepreneur who operates a small business making vegan energy bars that taste great and are good for you. That’s not where he started. Manny was a top-of-his-class CPA as well as a crypto news business owner with 20 interns working for him. He walked away from both. Manny was meant to do something else.

Manny is the co-owner of Heaven’s Pantry, part of a team of three guys that started a food company from nothing.

The company was started with the premise that you don’t need years of executive experience, or an MBA, or billions of dollars in venture capital to start a business. If you know how to do or make something that’s useful to other people, and you’ve got a passion for doing or making that thing, then you’ve got everything you need to start a company.

Manny’s smile is contagious. He is high-energy person who works 70 hours a week, while having a positive spirit and perspective.

He doesn't believe in failure; pivoting instead. He has pivoted several times and it is how he has learned, kept grounded, and brought a unique outlook to every one of his roles.

“Don’t be discouraged by the trials of life." Manny told me. "Dream big today so tomorrow can be better.”

Manny was one of my younger guests. I am starting to see that you can have wrinkles at any age.

Ralph started traveling when he was in high school. He liked to take pictures during his trips. He found out he was really good at it. Fast forward  to today, Ralph runs several travel brands where he's organized and led more than 200 truly incredible travel/photography experiences for  clients with one-of-a-kind itineraries.

“The right place at the right time.” Ralph takes people to beautiful places  with less crowds; mostly to places he has visited himself. They're off the beaten path so you can get out of your comfort zone, but also stay in comfortable accommodations with great food.

Ralph believes that your eyes can be your best camera. Pictures are great for  sharing but memories are made when you put down the camera and take in  these experiences with your brain. It’s important to have a mix of both.

Ralph Velasco runs a travel blog and hosts a YouTube channel called The Continental DRIFTER.  He's an international tour creator and travel photography instructor. He has studied photography, won awards for photography, and has taught students how to not only look at the world  but to see it from a different perspective (lens).

Josh got his first BMX bike from his father when he was a kid and it almost immediately consumed his life. At 17 years, he became a Pro BMX Athlete and was riding Dew Tours, X-Games and competing internationally at the highest possible level. At that point, he was 21 years old and felt like he had everything. But, after a nasty crash, his life was threatened.

Josh hit his head and went to a local urgent care to make sure something more serious wasn't happening. He had no damage from the crash, but there was a brain tumor taking up the left half of his brain. Immediate surgical removal was necessary.

After two more brain tumor diagnosis, he began researching health and nutrition. He was determined to prioritize his health and take the longevity of his life and the vitality of his brain into his own hands. As he progressed, he became passionate about helping others optimize their health and performance in all areas of life including career, relationships, and physical health.

As the passion to support others grew, and after a third brain tumor diagnosis, Josh got really clear on his higher purpose in life and left BMX competition to start his business speaking around the world and coaching entrepreneurs, athletes, executives, and organizations. Josh became certified through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition as a health coach, became certified through Ketogenic.com as a Keto Specialist, has become well versed in Neuro Linguistic Programming, read countless research articles, stacks of books and communicated with every expert he could.

Josh's goal in life is to impact the world in the most positive way and leave it better, stronger and healthier than when he came into it. He says, “No matter how long you have to live, find meaning.”

Josh Perry is an Optimization Expert & Performance Coach. Former Pro BMX Athlete & Brain Tumor Survivor. He helps people increase their personal & professional performance.

Grief came knocking on Vicki’s door. On Thanksgiving Day (2020), she lost her brother to COVID. 10 months later, her second brother passed away. “Life changing experiences” she calls it.

“What will I do with what happened to me?”

Vicki Ellner was in her 70’s and easily could have stopped working. She had already spent 30+ years in nursing along with years in Patient Health Care and Senior Citizen advocacy.

But, Vicki was not done yet. She still had that spark and quest for purpose and meaning.

Sometime you choose a career, and other times, your career chooses you.

Vicki went in the direction that life was taking her and became a “Certified Grief Recovery Specialist.”

She helps others through the grief process which ebbs and flows.

Vicki did have a few tips for employers who can help employees during the grieving process by providing support, showing compassion, being kind, and listening. It’s ok to ask about the person who passed away. “Tell me about your brother.” You don’t forget. This is a wonderful way to keep their memory alive.

Vicki Ellner’s phone number: 516-455-9612

David Gardner transitioned from education into financial services. How did he do it? Confidence in himself combined with a really good plan.

Originally, David wanted to go into sports, but life had different plans. He ventured into Education and stayed there for 16 years. But then life took David into a different direction once again. He veered into financial services. A profession he truly loves.

David is a strong, compassionate, and community-minded individual with a passionate spirit. He does not believe in failure, only opportunities to learn and grow.

David encourages the people around him to be adaptable, pivot when you have to, and don’t be afraid to take a leap of faith. There is something even greater waiting for you on the other side.

Want to get the younger generations’ attention? Talk to them and not at them. Corbie Mitlied, a former recruiter turned Reverend and Intuitive Consultant, thinks we can do a better job communicating with the younger generation in the workplace. We all want the same thing; to do great work that makes an impact.

Her advice to Boomers: think first before responding and listen without judgement. Move away from the stage and let the next generation take it. Push them out of their comfort zone; let them lead projects. They have tremendous potential. And, they will surprise you.

Corbie Mitleid is a Certified Tarot Master, Certified Professional Tarot Reader, professional Psychic Medium, past life specialist and ordained minister. At age 9 ,she discovered she had physic abilities. As she grew older and learned more about herself, her gifts got stronger. One day the Universe said to Corbie, “Hello, you’re working for Us.” That was it. She knew then what she was supposed to be doing with her life.

Before Corbie became a full-time intuitive counselor, she was an executive recruiter in a boutique headhunting firm, placing people in six-figure jobs for major corporations.  She offers: “Business Brainstorming” sessions to answer the question: “How can I make my side hustle or new venture work?” Corbie can help you come up with the name, the branding, and the core of your business vision, and share her take on marketing, client relations, money sanity and everything that makes the difference between surviving and thriving in today’s economy.

“Today’s leaders have a responsibility to inspire the leaders of tomorrow.” Lieutenant Colonel Oakland “Oak” McCulloch. Oak has lived his life by this motto. Throughout his decorated 23-year career in the United States Army and various civilian jobs that followed, McCulloch has lived a life of servant leadership. Experiences from his childhood and adult careers frame the leadership legacy he has personally passed down. As Oak likes to say, “Great leadership handed down from generation to generation is what develops great nations.”

How did “Oak” go from Lieutenant Colonel to Leadership Coach? He said it was an easy transition. Oak was once a hard-working young man who rose through the ranks. Mentoring was a key factor in his success. He believes in giving back and the importance of developing the next generation of leaders. If we don’t, we will reap what we sow.

Oak shared with me his simple everyday tips for leadership success which include, getting out from behind your desk, showing empathy, and never turning down a chance to lead. Theory is one piece of the pie, but doing is how you really learn.

Since Naomi was a little girl, she dreamed of being a mother. But, life had different plans. As she grew older, she found herself single and childless. It took her into a downward spiral. Grief. The loss of a child she would never know. An unmet expectation. Sometimes, life does not always go as planned and it’s OK.

Naomi wants you to know that if this has happened to you, there is nothing wrong with you. Lean in and grow.

Naomi is childless not by choice. But she still has other choices. For many years, she was in an unfulfilling job. She made a decision, “This I can control. It is time for a change.”

Today, Naomi Geidel is a life purpose and transitions coach. The experience she went through led her to the work she is doing today.

Naomi provides support and encouragement to creatives so they can bring their ideas to life. Her Inspired Change program supports those ready to take life by the hand and create a way forward. She currently lives in Bangkok, Thailand and you can find her wandering the streets looking for creative inspiration and joyful moments. She is an inspiration to many.

“Boys don’t cry.” Simon was taught that at an early age. As Simon grew older, there was an updated lesson, “Men don’t show their emotions.” The challenge is these lessons never worked for him. Simon believes he can cry if he wants to. And, so can other men.

Simon has lived with mental illness for most of his life. Depression, Anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Burnout. He has battled his way past mental illness and is in recovery. He learned (and teaches) that it’s OK to not be OK.

Simon started Mindful Men in 2021 to share his story and help normalize discussions around mental health. Mental health issues are higher for men because they have been taught to keep their emotions to themselves. Simon’s mission is to change that. His aim is to encourage boys and men to open up, get vulnerable and deal with the issues that are troubling them.

At 6 years old, Ashley already had a bad body image.  She remembers crying to her mom when asked to put a leotard on. “I don’t look as good as the other girls.” Ashley dieted her way through life into her 20’s. She felt out of control when it came to food.

Ashley was a tax accountant, a profession that demanded long hours at specified times throughout the year. Eating poorly was part of the job. “It’s ok” Ashley would tell herself. “I’ll start my diet again on Monday.”

Monday came and went.

In order to gain control of her eating, Ashley started an Instagram account detailing her journey to lose weight. Her account gained in popularity and the questions/comments rolled in. This was a sign to change her life and her profession.

Today Ashley is a Certified Holistic Health Coach and coaches women from all over the world. She believes it is absolutely possible to lose weight without being on a diet. Daily accountability and support are key to reaching your health and wellness goals.

Ashley is a mom with 3 kids. One of her greatest passions is helping others succeed in finding confidence in their bodies because for so long, she hated her own.  She knows all too well how awful it feels to be stuck in a vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting and how freeing it feels to be on the other side.

At the beginning of her career, Jane played the French Horn. After 30 years as a professional musician, she lost her passion and stopped playing. Following her intuition, Jane was guided on a new career path. 

Fast forward several years, Jane found LegalShield and everything clicked again. LegalShield empowers its members with legal and identity theft protection services, as well as plans for small business owners and employee benefits they need to grow and run their businesses every day.

The proactive piece of their business model is what intrigued Jane. Imagine being able to help people avoid legal issues versus waiting until issues arise. She knew she was home. Jane is a full-of-life, passionate, 67-year-old woman who loves what she does for a living and it shows. “I did it my way” is her motto as well as “go in the direction that life is taking you.”

Jane’s lesson learned? Listen to your heart, follow your passion, and don’t let anyone stop you. There is so much life to live. Enjoy every day.

Candace Mae watched 35 people who were on the top of their game have their lives destroyed by one bad leader. High-performing individuals who were once self-confident professionals turned into self-doubters. Can one person do that much damage? The answer was yes.

Candace Mae was one of those 35. But, she had two things in her favor. A legal background. And, she was already building a leadership development business on the side. This gave her perspective, something else to look forward to, and the ability to document 144 pages regarding that boss’ bullying behavior. He was eventually reassigned. Candace left to start her own business.

Candace Mae’s leadership principles center around the 3 C’s: Competence, Connection, and Character. She says Character is the most important of the three. Character builds a workplace founded on trust and psychological safety, essential for people to perform at their best.

Candace Mae's latest book, Heaven Within Restoring Wholeness for Better Leadership, is an Amazon international bestseller in 6 countries. This book resonates with international readers and is an outcome of her journey to leadership success.

Yvonne DiVita began her writing career in 2nd grade. She was always writing. And, she kept writing. In high school, Yvonne shared her stories with friends. They kept asking, “when is the next one coming out?”

Yvonne did not pursue a writing career. Instead, she became a vet tech, which is like a nurse or physician's assistant, but for animals. She loved animals, but something inside was missing.

Yvonne brought writing back into her life when she returned to college as an adult student, studying literature and creative writing. Then, years later, she wrote a book, and had a very bad experience.

This was Yvonne’s a pivotal moment, “I will start my own publishing company. I will help others avoid the trouble I had when I wrote and published my book.”

Yvonne’s top lesson is to always be open to learning something new. There is so much information out there, and learning makes you a better person. She wants you to believe in yourself. And, find a mentor because all great goals are not achieved alone.

Yvonne’s life work is helping writers. She helps her clients from Day #1, Word #1, to the finished book. Full service from idea to getting your book on Amazon to marketing it to the world.

Michele Molitor was shell-shocked. Moments earlier, she was brought into a conference room, and without warning, was told by the Managing Partner she was being let go. If that wasn’t bad enough, she had to wait 3 weeks for the decision to be finalized.

She was being bullied by 2 men on her team who had made it clear they didn’t like working for a woman. Looking back, she would have addressed it head on, but back then, Michele did not know how to handle the situation. “Freezing” as she called it, led to her demise.

Michele’s confidence was shattered, but she had to pick herself back up. She discovered coaching to figure out what to do next in her career. During the coaching process, a light bulb went off. She knew she was home.

Michele talked to me about this experience, how she got through it, and why it led her to the work she is doing now: helping others overcome Imposter Syndrome (self-doubt) by rewiring their brain to reclaim their confidence.

Clients call Michele the "Mind Detective" because of her uncanny ability to get at the root cause of their issues. Coaching and hypnotherapy are the foundation of her work.

Michele wants listeners to know that you can move past career falls by flipping the script of your self-talk from negative to positive, even if you don’t believe it yet in the moment.

Coach Phil says students are IL-prepared to make one of their most important career decisions in high school; what they want to do for the rest of their lives. There is no “history of college” courses to help. And, no career decision-making classes either. Students and parents are left on their own to figure it out.

Phil is on a mission to change this. He went through the college-choosing process with his son and it was not fun. He decided it was time for an overhaul.

Phil believes that it takes a village to raise a child, and a community-based perspective can apply here as well. In his work as an independent college and career coach, Phil brings subject-matter experts into the mix. College is expensive; it’s like taking out a 2nd mortgage, and you want to be sure you are making the right decision before you go to a school; rather than afterwards.

Through his journey, Phil’s lesson to parents is: Treat your children like they are the CEO of their career. They can lead the way and figure it out, not alone, but with the right people by their side.

Coach Phil Vetrano, MBA contact information:

Email: phil@PlanningAndVision.com

Angela Owens wanted to be an astronaut when she was younger. Instead, her career went into a different direction. She became a nurse; working in critical care; then becoming a consultant, teacher, and now an executive coach who helps healthcare leaders who want to transition in or out of the industry.

Angela still has the astronaut in her and has dedicated her career to seeing health care from an outside view; she wants to bring care back into the profession and discovery of the unknown to combat diseases that may or may not be profitable in the short term.

Angela has a lot to say about the health care industry and we touch on her views as well as what she would say to someone who wanted to enter the profession.

Along her journey, Angela’s lesson has been to go with the flow and let it go. She did this for herself so she could grow and move forward.

Angela Owens’ email address: dr.owens@o2executivecoaching.com

Jay spent 21 years working in a job that changed in an instant. He was the Senior Executive of Human Resources for Royal Caribbean. Then, C19 hit…

Ships were out to sea. There were 1,000’s of passengers and crew that needed to de-board. Boats were being turned away from ports and there were limited flights to take people home.

Jay Rombach had to act quickly; this meant thinking on his feet and adapting fast to what was happening around him. In the midst of uncertainty, Jay had to be a leader. Decisions needed to be made and Jay learned to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.

Because the cruise industry came to a standstill, layoffs were necessary. First the people around Jay were let go. Then, it was Jay’s turn.

Jay asked himself: “What do I do?” And, “what do I want?”

I talked to Jay about this period in his life and how self-discovery was the turning point and catalyst for his career pivot: helping professionals and leaders reinvent themselves and their careers.

From the time she was a little girl. Stef Lee loved asking questions. Her favorite: “What do you love to do?” This led her to the work she does today: a Life Alignment Catalyst, where she helps individuals discover their who they are and what they want. Stef also asks the same question to companies to help them clarify their mission, vision, and values.

Stef says that loving what you do is critical. Not everyone knows their purpose, and that’s OK. Start with what you enjoy doing now. You can build your career from there.

Jaime Merrithew went from “Can I possibly turn my passion into a business?” into 187,000 Tik Tok followers and 3.6 million video views. Jaime is a self-taught Mandala artist and owner of Mandala Love Affair, a highly-recommended and sought-after online retail business where every piece is unique and feels special when it arrives.

Jaime’s business took off during lockdown. She had the time and decided this was the time to turn her passion into a viable career. Her advice: You can do anything you want. You don’t have to have it all figured out before you get started. Experiment and have fun. Try; the pieces will fall together as you go.

Jaime’s contact info: @mandalaloveaffair (Tik Tok & Instagram)

On Christmas Eve 2015, David was brutally attacked when he attempted to remove a family member from his home where they had gathered to celebrate. The attack cracked his spine and over 6+ years, David had to endure three major spinal surgeries to be able to walk again, although he is now paralyzed in his left foot.

David lives with pain every day. Yet, he has kept a positive spirit and outlook. David shares his recovery and tips for how to become more fearless in the workplace and in your life.

David Schneer is the CEO of Merrill Research and The Merrill Institute for Nonverbal Communications. He is a wonderful man and an inspiration of how to overcome and thrive in the face of adversity.

Paul tried to walk away from his passion, but the universe had different plans for him. Life served him some curve balls, and took him on a tangent, but a will to serve and contribute brought him back to where he belongs.

Paul wouldn’t change a thing. All of his experiences led him to the work he was born to do, BOSS Academy. 

Paul Kirch is an experienced coach and consultant and has hosted a top 10 business podcast show, BOSS Academy Radio, which led to the founding of BOSS Academy, an entrepreneurial accelerator success platform designed to give small business leaders and entrepreneurs real Business Ownership Success Strategies (BOSS). 

Through this amazing community, Paul delivers resources and opportunities to members which accelerate business and personal growth in an empowering way.